Heikki Murtomaa

• University of Helsinki

Objective: Assessing current patient safety incident (PSI) prevention measures and risk management practices among Finnish dentists. Materials and methods: A total of 1041 dentists practicing in the private or public sectors in southern Finland completed an online questionnaire concerning PSI prevention, PSI-reporting systems, feedback and knowl...

Background: Few data are available on dental patient safety (PS), as most PS studies have focused on other activities in health care. Objective: To detect types and causes of dental PS incidents (PSIs), including adverse events (AEs) and near misses (NMs), in Finnish dental care. Material and methods: Altogether 1041 privately or publicly empl...

Objectives: The current study aimed to develop a valid and reliable questionnaire in both English and Persian to assess dental patients' knowledge and attitude during the COVID-19 outbreak. Materials and Methods: Through a comprehensive literature review, we designed the primary questionnaire in English and then translated it into Persian. The ques...

Background Nigeria, like many other countries, faced challenges in dental care provision during the COVID-19 pandemic, necessitating limited care to emergencies only. However, the impact of restricted access to dental services on oral health remains a concern, particularly with preventive maintenance care. This study aims to identify the factors a...

Introduction Psychiatric patients suffer from oral diseases and side effects of antipsychotic medication. In particular, the typical antipsychotic drugs may cause severe hyposalivation with subsequent oral symptoms. We therefore aimed to compare oral health behavior and oral side effects of in-hospital patients taking typical vs. atypical antipsych...

Introduction The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemics negatively affected the delivery of dental care. The study objective was to assess the knowledge of emergency dental treatments, the transmission routes of COVID-19 in the dental settings, necessary precautions to prevent disease transmission, and the associations between demographic fa...

The authors of the Integrated ScienceIntegrated science:MultidisciplinarityMultidisciplinarityandInterdisciplinarityInterdisciplinarityinHealthHealth were asked how you would see the future of your field 30 years later. This chapter presents the authors’ views on this subject in 2050. The Al-Samah danceDance. In the above poem, Hushang Ebtehaj says...

Oral healthOral health is an important but usually neglected healthHealth issue. Such as other aspects of healthHealth, it is under the influence of several factors at various levels. Thus, promoting the populationPopulation’s oral healthOral health requires an interdisciplinaryInterdisciplinary and multi-dimensional approach. This chapter defines...

Introduction: Dentists by their professional knowledge of prevention, have a key role in providing a positive role model for oral health-promoting behaviours. We aimed to investigate the health behaviour of Iranian senior dental students in terms of oral self-care and tobacco use during a ten-year period to assess their preparedness to act as role...

Background: Dentists according to professional knowledge of the prevention, have a key role in providing a positive model for oral health-promoting behaviours. We aimed to investigate health behaviour of Iranian senior dental students in terms of oral self-care and tobacco use during a ten-year period to assess their preparedness to act as role mod...

A patient who complained of difficulty in opening his mouth after condylar neck fracture 1 year ago presented typical features of temporomandibular joint ankylosis in clinical and radiologic examinations. To demonstrate a possible pathogenesis of temporomandibular joint ankylosis after condylar neck fracture, the fractured condylar portion removed...

This study analyzed characteristics of oral cancer patients from Tehran, Iran, and their tumors. Data came from the patient records of 30 major hospitals in Tehran. Patients (n = 1042), diagnosed with invasive oral cancer in 1993-2003, were classified by primary tumor site according to ICD-10 (C00-C10). Data were analyzed separately for lip, oral c...

Objective: To assess the association of oral health behavior (OHB) and the use of dental services with oral health literacy (OHL) among Iranian adults. Methods: This was a cross‑sectional population study of a random sample of 1031 adults aged 18–65 in Tehran, Iran. We collected data on tooth brushing frequency, the consumption of sugary snacks an...

Despite vast improvement in global oral health, problems persist in many populations and communities particularly among the underprivileged in both and developed and developing countries. Dental caries and periodontal diseases have for years burdened the majority of populations with heavy treatment and financial needs. Dental caries is still a majo...

Few studies of patient harm and harm-prevention methods in dentistry exist. This study aimed to identify and characterize dental patient safety incidents (PSIs) in a national sample of closed dental cases reported to the Regional State Administrative Agencies (AVIs) and the National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health (Valvira) in Finland....

Purpose: To assess factors related to satisfaction with dental care and its role in dental health-related behaviour among Lithuanian university employees. Materials and methods: Our cross-sectional survey collected data on respondents' satisfaction with dental care using 24 statements. The self-administered questionnaire also inquired about dent...

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to: determine the prevalence and distribution of patient/family-generated, dentistry-related complaints to Regional State Administrative Agencies (AVIs) and the National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health (Valvira) in Finland from 2000 to 2011, study patient/family safety incident experiences and oth...

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to: determine the prevalence and distribution of patient/family-generated, dentistry-related complaints to Regional State Administrative Agencies (AVIs) and the National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health (Valvira) in Finland from 2000 to 2011, study patient/family safety incident experiences and oth...

The Association for Dental Education in Europe (ADEE) has published and recommended ‘The profile and competences for the European Dentist’. This document contains the major competences which European dental schools are expected to provide. The aim of this study was to assess the perceived clinical competency among graduating dental students in Finl...

Objective We investigated the effects of rheumatic diseases on oral symptoms, health habits, and quality of life in subjects with and without rheumatic diseases. The hypothesis was that patients with rheumatic diseases have more oral symptoms impairing their quality of life than healthy controls.MethodsA questionnaire was mailed to a random sample...

Purpose: To determine the role of pre-adolescents' conceptions in improving their oral health in a school-based health education programme. Materials and methods: A school-based programme was designed as a 3-month intervention study for a representative sample of 9-year-olds (n = 338) in 12 schools in Tehran, Iran. The schools were randomly assi...

Background. Few data are available on dental patient safety (PS), as most PS studies have focused on other activities in health care. Objective. To detect types and causes of dental PS incidents (PSIs), including adverse events (AEs) and near misses (NMs), in Finnish dental care. Material and methods. Altogether 1041 privately or publicly employed...

Objective. Assessing current patient safety incident (PSI) prevention measures and risk management practices among Finnish dentists. Materials and methods. A total of 1041 dentists practicing in the private or public sectors in southern Finland completed an online questionnaire concerning PSI prevention, PSI-reporting systems, feedback and knowledg...

To assess oral health literacy level and oral health information of Iranian adults in Tehran, and to determine the factors related to oral health literacy. Basic research design: A cross-sectional population study. A random sample of 1,031 adults in Tehran, Iran. Oral health literacy was measured using an oral health adult literacy questionnaire (O...

Purpose The study purpose was to assess the role of socioeconomic factors and dental service utilization in treatment delay among oral cancer patients in Tehran, Iran. Material and methods We studied 100 patients with primary oral SCC who were treated in three university hospitals between September 2004 and September 2006. Treatment delay was defi...

Objectives: Clinical guidelines for tobacco use cessation (TUC) counseling recommend that healthcare professionals should provide brief tobacco counseling for all tobacco users. Widespread implementation of these guidelines seems to be insufficient. To enhance adherence to TUC counseling guidelines, it is essential to identify provider behaviors r...

Objectives: We aimed to investigate the relationship of task variation during dental work history with pinch grip strength among dentists. Methods: We measured pinch grip strength among 295 female Finnish dentists aged 45-63 years. Variation in dental work tasks during work history was empirically defined by cluster analysis. Three clusters of t...

Aim: The aim of the present study was to develop a functional oral health literacy (OHL) instrument for adults, including new measures of literacy skills (OHL Adults Questionnaire: OHL-AQ). Methods: An item pool was provided, and an expert panel evaluated the items by assessing the content validity index and content validity ratio. The reliabili...

Objectives Tobacco use adversely affects oral health. Clinical guidelines recommend that oral health professionals promote tobacco abstinence and provide patients who use tobacco with brief tobacco use cessation counselling. Research shows that these guidelines are seldom implemented successfully. This study aimed to evaluate two interventions to e...

Objective. To evaluate oral health literacy, independent of other oral health determinants, as a risk indicator for self-reported oral health. Methods. A cross-sectional population-based survey conducted in Tehran, Iran. Multiple logistic regression analysis served to estimate the predictive effect of oral health literacy on self-reported oral heal...

Electronic decision support systems (EDSSs) are systematically developed to assist healthcare professionals in making treatment decisions. The purpose of these systems is to help health professionals analyze patient data and make decisions regarding diagnosis, prevention, and treat- ment of health problems. The value of decision support system can...

Non-use of dental services: could there be some other reason than just healthy teeth? This register-based study was concerned to investigate the non-use of oral health services in the metropolitan Helsinki region in 2005–2009. It is the first ever investigation in this field that covers a period of several years and that compiles information from m...

To investigate attitudes of Iranian senior dental students towards preventive dentistry in relation to their background factors and self-perceived competency in providing preventive care. In spring 2008, a questionnaire survey was conducted with all the senior dental students of seven randomly selected state dental schools in Iran. In addition to t...

Objective: To investigate attitudes of Iranian senior dental students towards pre-ventive dentistry in relation to their background factors and self-perceived compe-tency in providing preventive care. Materials and Methods: In spring 2008, a questionnaire survey was conducted with all the senior dental students of seven randomly selected state dent...

Patient Safety (PS) is an important component of high quality health care. The Council of European Dentists has encouraged the profession to be aware of potential hazards which may harm our patients; still, systematic data on dental PS are few. Objectives: To study current Patient Safety Incidents (PSI)-preventing methods and risk management prac...

Objectives: To investigate self-assessed oral health and oral health behaviours of adults in Tehran, Iran. Methods: Seven-digit numbers resembling real phone numbers were drawn using a two-stage stratified random technique to represent adults in Tehran. A total of 1,307 adults answered the calls by four trained interviewers, and 1,086 (83%) a...

Objectives: Tobacco use adversely affects oral health. Clinical guidelines recommend oral health professionals to promote tobacco abstinence by providing tobacco users at least with brief tobacco use cessation counselling. These guidelines are seldom fully implemented, however. To improve guideline adherence, it is essential to understand provider...

Tobacco use adversely affects oral health. Clinical guidelines recommend that dental providers promote tobacco abstinence and provide patients who use tobacco with brief tobacco use cessation counselling. Research shows that these guidelines are seldom implemented, however. To improve guideline adherence and to develop effective interventions, it i...

Obesity, dental caries and periodontal diseases are among major public health concerns which may affect children's growth and development. This study seeks any clustering between obesity, oral health and life-style factors among school children in Istanbul, Turkey. A cross-sectional study of children, 10- to 12-year-olds, from a public and a privat...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES. Many previous studies showed clear gender differences in the percentages of adults reporting toothbrushing more than once a day. This study evaluated the factors determining gender differences in toothbrushing among Lithuanian middle-aged university employees. MATERIAL AND METHODS. A questionnaire survey was anonymously c...

The present research was carried out at the School of Dentistry, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Tanzania. To assess smoking and drinking habits as well as attitudes towards smoking cessation counselling among dental students in Tanzania. A 28-item pretested and self-administered questionnaire was delivered to all dental student...

The derivation of smoking index according to national health behaviour and health survey [8].

Explanatory statement of the study, Vaasa.

Study consent.

Instruction form for completing the survey.

Explanatory statement of the study, Tampere.

Tobacco use adversely affects oral health. Tobacco use prevention and cessation (TUPAC) counselling guidelines recommend that healthcare providers ask about each patient's tobacco use, assess the patient's readiness and willingness to stop, document tobacco use habits, advise the patient to stop, assist and help in quitting, and arrange monitoring...

To assess the relationship between insurance status and type of service received among dentate adults in a developing oral health care system. A cross-sectional survey based on phone interviews in Tehran, Iran. Four trained interviewers collected data using a structured questionnaire. Of 1,531 subjects answering the phone call, 224 were <18 years;...

Objectives: Tobacco use adversely effects oral health. Clinical guidelines recommend that dental providers should provide a brief tobacco use cessation (TUC) counselling to tobacco users. Guidelines are seldom implemented, however. To improve guideline adherence and develop interventions, it is essential to understand provider behaviour and impleme...

Objectives: Higher levels of smoking, leading to increased levels of nicotine and dopamine release, may be more strongly related to bruxism, although this relationship has remained unclear. Thus, the aim of the present study was to investigate the possible effect of cumulative tobacco use on bruxism while controlling for genetic and environmental f...

Objectives: Oral health professionals have a unique opportunity and responsibility to promote tobacco free life. They see patients frequently and tobacco use has immediate (esthetic, gingival) and delayed (oral cancer) effects on the oral health. Although, clinical guidelines for tobacco use cessation (TUC) are widely available, understanding what...

To date, studies on the contributions of genetic factors to oral health have been inconclusive. We hypothesized that major dental diseases show a significant genetic component. The study was based on self-reported oral health among young adult twins. The data were derived from the fourth wave of the longitudinal FinnTwin16 study, in which participa...

The objective of the present study was to investigate smoking habits of Iranian dental students in relation to their background characteristics and oral self-care (OSC). A survey in the form of a questionnaire was conducted of 327 senior dental students in seven randomly selected state dental schools in Iran. In addition to smoking habits and backg...

Higher levels of smoking, leading to increased levels of nicotine and dopamine release, may be more strongly related to bruxism, although this relationship has remained unclear. Thus, the aim of the present study was to investigate the possible effect of cumulative tobacco use on bruxism in a large sample of young adults. The material of the presen...

Abstract – Objectives: Evaluation of the effectiveness of a school-based oral health promotion intervention on preadolescents’ gingival health. Methods: A community trial designed for a 3-month intervention study in a representative sample of 9-year-olds (n = 457) in 16 schools in Tehran, Iran. The schools were randomly assigned to three interventi...

The Medical Faculty of the University of Helsinki decided to employ a web-based evaluation system as an integral and essential part of all courses beginning in the autumn term of 2006. To analyse the effects of the intervention on dental students' web-based responses at the University of Helsinki, Finland. A previously developed web-based tool was...

To investigate patients' reasons for selecting a dental clinic given their choice of free or highly-subsidized dental services. The study was based on cross-sectional data obtained through phone interviews with adults in Tehran, Iran. The present study included those entitled to free or highly-subsidized dental services (n = 726). The data covered...

A dental degree programme is a complex combination not only just to acquire knowledge and skills but also to develop interpersonal skills. It is a challenge for both students and staff to conceptualise studies in larger entities and to emphasise learning as a process. This project's general aim is to support student's development to become a self‐g...

Aim: To assess Finnish mothers' knowledge and behaviour with regard to the transmissibility of oral bacteria to a child. Subjects and Methods: The study population (n=428) comprised pregnant mothers or those with children under three years attending municipal well-baby clinics in Finland. A self-administered questionnaire assessed mothers' knowledg...

Objectives: Because evidence on the interaction between oral health and general well-being is increasing, the present study’s aim was to assess the interrelation between oral health, self-esteem, and obesity among Finnish (FP) and Turkish (TP) pre-adolescents. Methods: A cross-sectional study of FP and TP, 10- to 12-year-olds, was carried out wit...

Schools can be an important setting for health education programmes, controlling the growing burden of oral diseases and promoting oral health. Aim. The aim of this study was to evaluate the short-term effect of school-based educational intervention on oral cleanliness and gingival health of 15-year-olds in Tehran, Iran. The present cluster randomi...

Obesity and dental caries in childhood are among the major public health concerns described as a global pandemic because of their global distribution and severe consequences. A consensus has developed as to a recently emerging and alarming common risk factor that leads to the double burden of dental caries and obesity; energy-dense foods (sugar-coa...

This study aimed to evaluate and describe the dental attendance patterns and to characterize the factors that encourage preventive dental visits among 35- to 44-year-old university employees in Lithuania. A questionnaire survey was conducted anonymously among the 35- to 44-year-old employees (n=862) of four universities in Lithuania in 2005. The re...

The aim of this study was to investigate the association between cognitive and behavioural factors of preadolescents and those of their mothers, assessed in terms of self-efficacy beliefs and toothbrushing among Turkish and Finnish population in the framework of Social Cognitive Theory. The specific objective was to test if this possible associatio...

The purpose of this study was to analyze the 5-year survival rates of 82 patients with lip cancer attending 5 university hospitals during 1999-2003 in Tehran, Iran. We used information from patient records, telephone calls, and death register files of the Iran Ministry of Health to ascertain the patients' vital status. Associations between survival...

The objective of this study was to assess the periodontal treatment needs and the dental status in relation to smoking indicators with special emphasis on lifelong exposure to smoking among 35- to 44-year-old Iranian dentate subjects. Data (N = 8276) were collected as part of a national survey using the World Health Organization criteria for sampli...

The aim of this study was to investigate the diagnostic delay and its determinants among oral cancer patients in Tehran, Iran. This study was conducted between September 2004 and September 2006 in three university hospitals, and included 100 consecutive patients with primary oral squamous cell carcinoma (international classification of disease, ICD...

The aim of this study was to examine the perceived barriers to preventive dental practice among Iranian dentists. A questionnaire survey was performed among the dentists who participated in two annual dental meetings (conducted in December 2004 and in July 2005) in Tehran, Iran. The dentists who attended the meeting completed the self-administered...

To study oral health status and treatment need among 15-year-olds in Tehran, Iran in relation to their parents' level of education. A cross-sectional study based on the WHO criteria, was carried out in 2004 among 15-year-olds (n=506) in Tehran. Data collection was by a self-administered questionnaire and a clinical dental examination to assess dent...

To study Iranian dentists' conceptions of the earliest stage to place a restoration on proximal caries lesions. A questionnaire survey was carried out among the participants of two annual dental meetings in Tehran, Iran, in December 2004 and July 2005. The questionnaire was filled in anonymously and returned during the meeting days. The questions c...

This study aims to assess any clustering between obesity, number of decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT), television (TV) viewing, and lifestyle factors among pre-adolescents living in 2 countries with different developmental status and oral health care systems - Turkey and Finland. A cross-sectional study of Finnish (n = 338) and Turkish (n =...

Interest is growing on conceptualizing dental disease aetiology under the life-course approach. The aim of this study was to assess the association of dental caries experience with the major components of life-course approach, health- and behavioral capital, among Turkish and Finnish pre-adolescents, with different family-related characteristics, a...

This was to evaluate the influence of mothers' oral health-related knowledge and attitudes on the tooth-brushing behaviour and dental health of their children and to compare the effect of these maternal aspects on child's oral health. In 2005, an oral health study conducted among a random sample of 457 mother and child pairs in Tehran, Iran, used s...

To investigate the oral health status of 18-year-old Iranians in relation to their gender, place of residence and level of education. Thirty-three calibrated examiners in 2002 collected data as part of a national survey, according to World Health Organization criteria for sampling and clinical diagnoses, across 28 provinces. The study sample was 4,...

To assess the influence of maternal and individual characteristics on self-reported dental health of Turkish school children aged 10-12 years with different socio-economic backgrounds. A cross-sectional study of children aged 10 to 12 (n = 611) using paired matches of self-administered questionnaires for children and their mothers. Clinical examina...

Psychological stress in undergraduate dental students: fifth year outcomes compared with first year baseline results from five European dental schools. To compare the levels of a series of health-related indicators from a cohort of fifth year dental students from five European schools with their first year scores, and to investigate the relationshi...

This study aimed to investigate the frequency of tooth loss and the magnitude of prosthodontic rehabilitation based on socio-demographic information among 35- to 44-year-old Iranians. Data (n = 8240) were collected by 33 examiners as part of a national survey using WHO criteria for sampling and clinical diagnosis. Gender, age, place of residence an...

In this retrospective study we analysed the survival in 470 patients with oral cancer. Patients who attended five university hospitals in Tehran, Iran, during the period 1996-2002 were included. Data were obtained from a combination of sources including patients' records, telephone calls, and deaths registered by the Ministry of Health. Survival cu...

The advent of globalization has changed our perspectives radically. It presents increased understanding of world affairs, new challenges and exciting opportunities. The inequitable distribution and use of finite energy resources and global warming are just two examples of challenges that can only be addressed by concerted international collaboratio...

This study investigated the role of mothers in their preadolescents' oral self-care (OSC) and oral health in Tehran, Iran. In 2005, two self-administered questionnaires provided data on a random sample of 9-year-old children (N = 416) and their mothers. Brushing frequency, use of fluoridated dentifrice and the number of sugary snacks between meals...

To investigate the study motives and career choices of Iranian senior dental students in relation to their background factors. During the spring term 2005, a questionnaire survey was administered to 327 senior dental students in seven randomly selected state dental schools in Iran. The questionnaire requested information on age, gender, parents' em...

To study risk-based preventive practice among Iranian dentists. A questionnaire survey was conducted at two annual dental meetings in 2004 and 2005 in Tehran. Using a five-point Likert scale, respondents indicated their level of agreement with taking preventive measures including oral hygiene, use of fluoride, diet and dental check-up for a high- a...

Toothbrushing twice daily is a recommended component of oral self-care soon after the eruption of primary dentition. Aim. This study aims to investigate oral hygiene and frequency of oral cleaning in children up to 3 years, in relation to mother-related factors. A cross-sectional study of 504 children aged 12-36 months in Tehran, Iran was implement...

The dental status of dentate diabetic adults (n = 299) and its associations with diabetes-related factors was explored in Tehran, Iran. Presence of diabetes-related complications made no difference in mean values of DMFT, but was associated with a higher number of decayed and missing teeth, and fewer filled teeth. Higher level of HbA1c was associat...

The objective of the present study was to compare the self-assessed and the clinically determined findings of oral health and their determinants among 15-year-olds in Tehran, Iran. A cross-sectional study based on World Health Organization criteria and the methods of the Second International Collaborative Study was carried out among the 15-year-old...

To investigate the oral health behaviour and the smoking habits among diabetic adults with regard to diabetes-related factors and their background information. In 2005, a questionnaire was conducted among diabetic adults (N = 299) in Tehran, Iran. The subjects were invited to the dental clinic and were asked to complete a self-administered question...

In this retrospective study we analysed the survival in 470 patients with oral cancer. Patients who attended five university hospitals in Tehran, Iran, during the period 1996-2002 were included. Data were obtained from a combination of sources including patients' records, telephone calls, and deaths registered by the Ministry of Health. Survival cu...

To assess smoking, tooth brushing and oral cleanliness and their relationships among 15-year-olds in Tehran, Iran. A cross-sectional study based on World Health Organization criteria and the methods of the Second International Collaborative Study was carried out in autumn 2004 among 15-year-olds (n=502) in Tehran. Data were based on a self-administ...

An increase in the use of general practitioner services for children has taken place since the 1980s in the Nordic countries, but little is known about the use of dental services during this time. To compare differences in children's use of dental services in the five Nordic countries and to analyse changes over time from the 1980s to the 1990s. Th...

To assess Iranian dentists' knowledge of and attitudes towards preventive dental care. A questionnaire survey was conducted at two nationwide annual dental congresses in 2004 and 2005 in Tehran, Iran. Dentists' level of knowledge was assessed based on their responses on a Likert scale (0-4) to nine statements on preventive dental care. Higher score...